1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to surgical sutures, and more particularly to sutures which have been treated to render them antimicrobial.
2. Description of Prior Art
The need for antimicrobial sutures to reduce or eliminate the incidence of wound infection has long been recognized. It has been suggested to impregnate sutures with antimicrobial agents which were only slightly soluble and would leach from the suture over a period of several weeks. It has also been suggested to use hydrophilic binders to hold more soluble antimicrobial agents in the suture. Other methods for chemically bonding selected antimicrobial agents to the suture material have also been proposed.
The following references are illustrative of the prior art methods and compositions which have been proposed for antimicrobial sutures. The list is not exclusive and other related references may be known to those skilled in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 861,231 (7-23-07) Microbiocidal sutures containing an insoluble antiseptic salt such as silver iodide.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,741,893 (12-31-29) A non-capillary, waterproof and bacteriostatic suture treated with an aluminum salt such as aluminum acetate.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,910 (6-26-56) Suture impregnated with an antibacterial agent and a wax or vinyl chloride/vinylidene chloride binder.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,376 (5-2-67) Fabrics impregnated with aqueous solutions of sodium phenolate, sodium tetraborate, glycerine and phenol.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,704 (6-18-60) Microbiocidal sutures containing quaternary ammonium salts.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,005 (9-10-68) A suture treated with N-hydroxymethyl lactam followed by treatment with a hologen-containing germicidal agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,437 (10-27-70) Fibers treated with reactive dyes containing ionogenic groups are acidified, then reacted with cationic bactericidal agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,416 (1-4-72) and 3,674,901 (7-4-72) Sutures coated with hydrophilic acrylate or methacrylate polymers containing a small amount of an antibacterial agent, or polymer-coated sutures treated with antibacterial agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,003 (2-15-72) A nitrogenous, amphoteric, organic suture bonded to cationic or anionic germicidal surface active agents such as quaternary ammonium salts or organic sulfonates.
Canadian Pat. No. 916,052 (12-5-72) Substantially insoluble high molecular weight germicidal salts are formed within a suture by reacting anionic and cationic agents in situ.
British Pat. No. 1,248,513 (10-6-71) Suture coated with hydrophilic polymer, e.g., glycerol or glycolmonomethacrylate or acrylate with antimicrobial agent applied to suture, before, with or after polymer coating.
An antimicrobial suture should demonstrate an effective level of antimicrobial activity over a period of at least 24 hours, and preferably longer, when implanted in animal tissue. The suture must be non-toxic and non-irritating to animal tissue. The treated suture should retain flexibility, strength and good handling and knotting properties characteristic of untreated sutures. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an antimicrobial suture possessing these and other desirable properties as will be apparent from the ensuing description and claims.